What You Need to Know Before Buying a Knitting Machine

As someone who had never machine knit before, I discovered many key things along the way during my search for the right machine. I relied heavily on the internet and speaking with machine knitters. Here is a list that will hopefully help you if you are considering purchasing a knitting machine and have never used one before.

The Machines Themselves: 

1. Unlike hand knitting, where you can easily change the size of the needle to accommodate different thicknesses of yarn, a knitting machine has a set gauge. What this means is that a machine that uses fine yarn cannot use chunky yarns. If you want to machine knit with both types of yarn you will need to purchase two different machines. This explains why many avid machine knitters own multiple machines. Decide what you will most often make on your knitting machine. I went with a chunky gauge machine which can handle sport weight to a light bulky weight yarn. I most often work with worsted weight yarn as it is the most economical and readily available in the city that I live. 
2. Aside from Bond (which produces the Ultimate Sweater Machine), the only company that is producing knitting machines is Studio and they carry the Silver Reed line. They offer a wide range of machines for both beginners and advanced knitters. My research on the Silver Reed LK 150 reveals that it is highly desirable for beginners and they are in demand if you later decide to sell it. 
3. If you can afford to pay more, do not buy the Ultimate Sweater Machine. For every positive review there appears to be five (extremely) negative reviews. It also has a narrow needle bed so if you want to make blankets, you need to buy an extension package which just adds to the cost. 
4. The Silver Reed LK 150 is lightweight and portable. It is made of a durable plastic and can handle sport weight and worsted yarn. Machine knitters seem to love it and for the price difference, it is far superior to the Ultimate Sweater Machine. It is an ideal device for hobby knitters who enjoy hand manipulation of stitches to create patterns. 
5. Why I didn’t purchase the LK 150: I ended up purchasing the Brother KH 260 because I would eventually like to create knitwear and accessories for sale. The Brother KH 260 is made of metal instead of plastic and is more durable in the long run. It also has a punch card system which will allow me to do automatic patterning (textures and two-coloured fair isle) without having to do the manual manipulation. This feature will certainly speed up the production process which means I can make more in less time. 
6. Parts are available for used machines. While Brother is not manufacturing spare parts, there are warehouses that sell spare parts. Unfortunately, once they run out there will be no more. Knitting machines come with several parts and accessories. 
7. Although they are not complicated to use, unless you know what to look for, it is best not to buy a used machine from a garage or estate sale unless you are allowed to look at the manual and can check to see if all the parts and accessories are included. If the machine is missing a part, you will not be able to use it. Instead, you will end up having to scour the internet for used replacement parts. 

Will You Enjoy Machine Knitting? 
The best way to find this out is to try it. Unfortunately, for most people, it’s hard to find someone who owns a machine. Here is a list of things to consider:

1. Do you have a strong background in hand knitting? The learning curve for machine knitting will be much easier for those who are intermediate to advanced hand knitters. Strong knitters already know how to read patterns, understand the importance of gauge, understand terminology, and can envision what each panel should look like. They also understand the mechanics behind special stitches like increasing and decreasing. If you have a strong background in knitting, you can focus more on learning the mechanics of the machine. 
2. Where will you be machine knitting? When I hand knit, it’s almost always on a comfy couch in front of the tv with my husband and kids. I hand knit to relax in a quiet atmosphere. Machine knitting is louder than I expected. Every time you pass the carriage over the needle bed, the machine makes a metallic swishing sound. It’s not ear piercing but would certainly be annoying for others in the room. So, I have set up my machine in my office. I set my iPad on the table and watch Netflix while I machine knit. The iPad is also handy when I need to troubleshoot - thank you YouTube! A knitting machine must be clamped on a sturdy table which means that you need to sit upright on a secure chair (I use an office chair that has wheels that glides well on my hardwood floor). If you spend a good portion of your day sitting at a desk for work, consider whether or not you want to machine knit while sitting at a table. I am on my feet all day, so I don’t mind sitting for an hour or two in the evening. 
3. Are you good at troubleshooting when your sewing machine or serger jams up? Your knitting machine will jam. It’s frustrating but having dealt with my sewing machine and serger for years, it’s second nature to me. Patience and creative problem solving are assets. 
4. Is there a knitting machine club or guild in your city? Connect with people who have expertise. They will know the ins and outs and can offer both resources and advice. Knitting club meetings often offer demonstrations and potentially an opportunity for you to try a machine yourself. 
5. Are you comfortable with math conversions for knitting patterns? This is another asset. Contemporary machine knitting patterns are limited but if you are comfortable with math conversions, most seamed pattern can be converted to the gauge of your machine. I find myself converting patterns so that I can use worsted weight yarn. So far, the outcome has been very positive. 
6.  Do you enjoy seaming knitting pieces? In a previous post, I wrote about how I hate seaming and that I exclusively hand knit in the round. With a flatbed knitting machine, you are forced to knit pieces and seam them later. Fortunately, I found Susan Bates Knit Klips. They have certainly eased my frustration with seaming. 
7. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions - I was fortunate enough to connect with my husband's aunt Marg, who is an avid machine knitter.  She lives across the country so I wasn't able to try any of her machines but we e-mailed back and forth several times.  I also connected with members of Victoria's knitting machine club and bought my machine from the vice president. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have!  I'd be happy to help!  

What Your Knitting Machine Can’t Do: 
While the knitting machine can is faster in some regards, it has its limitations.

1. Without special attachments or hand manipulation, you cannot do garter or rib stitches. For me, I’ve gotten around that by using a provisional cast on and then hand knitting in a garter or rib edge after I’ve finished working my pieces. 
2. Your knitting machine will not automatically make cables or lace. You will need to move stitches around by hand. 

Useful Articles 

• “What you should know before buying a knitting Machine” - Sonja Kathleen 
• “Demystifying Knitting Machines” - posted on Knitter's Review 
• “Selecting Your Knitting Machine” - Angelika of Angelika’s Yarn Store 
• “What Every Hand Knitter Needs to Know Before Buying a Knitting Machine” - Angelika of Angelika’s Yarn Store